GAME 2 PREVIEW-Toledo Rockets

Game 2      OHIO STATE v TOLEDO

            September 10, 2011    Ohio Stadium  Columbus, OH

Toledo Rockets

Location: Toledo, OH

Stadium: The Glass Bowl (26,248)

Coach: Tim Beckman (3^rd year): 14-12 at Toledo/overall, 9-6 v MAC, 0-1 v OSU

Series: OSU 2, Toledo 0

Last Meeting: 9/19/09: OSU 38, Toledo 0

2010 Toledo Rockets (8-5)(7-1)MAC           2010 Ohio State Buckeyes (12-1)(7-1) B10

  2        Arizona                       41                    45        Marshall                        7

20        at Ohio University      13                     36        Miami                          24

37        at Western Michigan   24                     43        Ohio University             7

31        at Purdue                    20                    73        Eastern Michigan        20

15        Wyoming                    20                    24        at Illinois                     13

14        at Boise State              57                    38        Indiana                       10

34        Kent                           21                    18        at Wisconsin                31

31        Ball State                   24                     49        Purdue                           0

42        at Eastern Michigan      7                     52        at Minnesota               10

30        at Northern Illinois      65                     38        Penn State                  14

33        Bowling Green            14                     20        at Iowa                       17

42        Central Michigan         31                     37        Michigan                       7

32        Florida International    34                     31        Arkansas                     26

            (Little Caesars Bowl)                                      (Sugar Bowl)

2011 Toledo Rockets (1-0)                            2011 Ohio State Buckeyes (1-0)

58        New Hampshire          22                    42        Akron                            0

S10      at Ohio State                                                   Toledo

S17      Boise State (S16)                                            at Miami

S24      at Syracuse                                                      Colorado

O1       at Temple                                                        Michigan State

O8       Eastern Michigan                                            at Nebraska

O15     at Bowling Green                                            at Illinois

O22     Miami University                                           

O29                                                                          Wisconsin

N5       Northern Illinois (N1)                                     Indiana

N12     Western Michigan (N8)                                  at Purdue

N19     at Central Michigan (N18)                              Penn State

N26     at Ball State (N25)                                         at Michigan

	Toledo Rockets Offense							Ohio State Buckeyes Defense
Pos		Player		Ht	Wt	Cl	Pos		Player	Ht	Wt	Cl
WR	3	Cordale Scott		6-4	220	Jr	DE	43	Nathan Williams	6-3	255	Sr
T	74	Mike Vandermeulen		6-7	304	Sr	DT	54	John Simon	6-2	270	Jr
G	78	Phillip Manley		6-5	309	Sr	DT	53	Garrett Goebel	6-3	290	Jr
C	67	Zac Kerin		6-5	294	So	DE	52	Jonathan Hankins	6-3	335	So
G	75	Greg Mancz		6-5	280	Fr	LB	42	Andrew Sweat	6-2	238	Sr
T	72	John Morookian		6-5	301	Sr	LB	32	Storm Klein	6-2	230	So
TE	9	Danny Noble		6-5	233	Sr	LB	6	Etienne Sabino	6-3	242	Jr
WR	11	Bernard Reedy		5-9	175	So	CB	5	Dominic Clarke	5-10	191	So
WR	12	Eric Page		5-10	180	Jr	CB	25	Bradley Roby	5-11	185	Fr
RB	24	Adonis Thomas		5-10	185	Sr	SS	19	Orhian Johnson	6-2	205	Jr
QB	4	Austin Dantin		6-2	200	Jr	FS	4	C.J. Barnett	6-0	190	So
K	4	Ryan Casano		5-10	178	Sr	P	17	Ben Buchanan	6-0	180	Jr
	Toledo Rockets Defense							Ohio State Buckeyes Offense
Pos		Player		Ht	Wt	Cl	Pos		Player	Ht	Wt	Cl
DE	97	Malcolm Riley		6-3	281	Sr	WR	9	Verlon Reed	6-0	195	Fr
DT	94	John Roberts		6-3	280	Sr	T	78	Andrew Norwell	6-5	308	So
DT	52	Jonathan Lamb		6-4	285	Sr	G	74	Jack Mewhort	6-6	303	So
DE	23	T.J. Fatinikun		6-2	245	Jr	C	50	Mike Brewster	6-5	305	Sr
LB	10	Charles Rancifer		6-3	217	Sr	G	79	Marcus Hall	6-5	315	So
LB	32	Dan Molls		6-1	222	Jr	T	76	J.B. Shugarts	6-7	300	Sr
LB	38	Robert Bell		6-0	227	Jr	TE	11	Jake Stoneburner	6-5	245	Jr
CB	2	Taikwon Paige		5-11	185	Sr	WR	10	Corey Brown	5-11	182	So
CB	3	Desmond Marrow		6-3	210	Sr	RB	34	Carlos Hyde	6-0	238	So
SS	29	Jermaine Robinson		6-3	188	Jr	FB	44	Zach Boren	6-0	252	Jr
FS	5	Diauntae Marrow		6-3	210	Sr	QB	14	Joe Bauserman	6-1	230	Sr
P	35	Vince Penza		6-1	201	So	K	24	Drew Basil	6-1	212	So

 

Week two of the season brings the Buckeyes another in-state opponent, but in a completely different package. Toledo, also of the Mid American Conference, comes into the 'Shoe this week to take on the Buckeyes. Unlike Akron, however, the Rockets will present a much more difficult test for the Buckeyes.

Toledo will be lead onto the field by Austin Dantin at quarterback although he won't be the only signal caller to see action against the men of the scarlet and gray as Dantin will be spelled, often, by Terrance Owens of Glenville. Much like Bauserman and Miller, these two play a different style of football from each other and different packages should be expected when either one is on the field. Of course Toledo's main weapon is multi threat Eric Page who was actually put on the watch list for the Biletnikoff Award as the nation's top receiver. Page has accounted for over 1100 yards receiving in both his freshmen and sophomore years and looks to do the same in his junior campaign. While Page is a threat in the receiving game, and to a certain extent the run game, he's more likely to burn the Buckeyes in the return game, account for greater than 30 yards per return last season on kickoffs. We've seen Ohio State kickoff coverage struggle and it only gets more tricky when you have a person of Page's caliber returning those kicks. Adonis Thomas and Bernard Reedy are two other names to keep an eye on for the Rockets on Saturday.

Defensively the Rockets aren't as up to par as their offense but that isn't to take away from their abilities. While New Hampshire last week was able to put up more than 300 yards of offense, the Rockets did force 5 turnovers and stood at 67% in red zone efficiency. Having Tim Beckman, a former Ohio State assistant, at head coach certainly bodes well for Toledo as well. Coming into the 'Shoe,  this team will not be intimidated by their surroundings. The Rockets will be led by senior linebacker Charles Rancifer, who tallied 8 tackles last week, as well as senior cornerback Desmond Marrow.

So what does this all mean for the Buckeyes? In the grand scheme of things not a whole lot more than what Akron meant last week - this is another tune up game as the Buckeyes head into Miami next week to take on the 'Canes. The Rockets are likely going to hang around for most of the first half but it won't take much more than that for the Buckeyes to start pulling away from the Rockets. Bauserman will be able to steadily pick apart the Rocket secondary and with Jordan Hall returning the depth at running back (and having fresh legs) will help wear down the Toledo defense. Eric Page is going to make some noise but it'll be more sound check than encore.  As long as Ohio State avoids turnovers, they’ll easily pull away in the second half.

                                  OHIO STATE 37, TOLEDO 14